Burn
by moonlight-shimmer
Summary: Davis celebrates his 25th birthday, which calls for a massive party in his loft. Tension is filling the air between Mimi and Tai, and it's only a matter of time until one of them takes it a bit further. Michi. Matt/Mimi and Sora/Mimi friendship. Rated T for some allusions.


Hello Digimon fans! :) I'm very excited to upload my first Digimon oneshot, starring my favourite couple, Michi! :D I was inspired to this by Adele's song "Miss you"; the passage I'm talking about will precede the story. I'm very curious to hear what you think, so please leave feedback! :) Thank you for reading and have fun! x

 **Burn**

* * *

I love the way your body moves  
Towards me from across the room  
Brushing past my every groove  
No one has me like you do, uh baby  
Bring your heart, I bring my soul  
But be delicate with my ego  
I wanna step into your great unknown  
With you and me setting the tone

* * *

The party's going really, really well.

First, Izzy has had so many beers that he's now talking about things that are _not_ related to his computer, something that is exceptionally rare. Mimi observes how he slings an arm around Yolei's shoulders, animatedly talking about something Mimi can't quite hear over the loud music blasting through the apartment, but Yolei cannot stop giggling at what he's saying, so it must be something hilarious.

Second, against all odds, Joey came to the party after all. He had given a vague response to the invitation, apologising furiously and avoiding making promises, but he decided to let his dissertation be for the night and join his friends for Davis' 25th birthday. He's talking to Sora and some of Davis' friends from the football club right now, a beer in his hand and a content smile on his face.

Third, Davis is going absolutely nuts, as he always does on birthdays, anniversaries, New Year's Eve, Christmas, Easter and any other occasion really. Mimi can't spot him – she thinks he might be on the balcony right now – but his loft is full of people infected by his good mood.

The brunette is jiggling her foot to the music, playing with the straw in her drink. She's sitting on a barstool (one of the many details she loves about Davis' apartment) next to Matt, who is scanning the room in his usual quiet manner.

"Who are you looking for?" she teases him, and his deep blue eyes come to rest on her.

"What do you mean?" he retorts.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd say you're looking for prey," Mimi grins, sipping at her drink. He rolls his eyes in exactly the same way Sora does, and her smirk turns into a warm smile.

"I'm not the one looking for prey," he says, raising his eyebrows nodding towards the stereo. Mimi glances across the living room and catches a certain pair of dark brown eyes.

Her lips twitch smugly before she averts her gaze again to innocently face Matt.

"Don't give me this look," he warns her, "he's been mentally undressing you since you got here. Along with half of Davis' teammates."

"Wait, he's been undressing Davis' teammates too?" she mocks him, laughing when he shakes his head at her. "Can you blame him? I mean, look at me."

It's only because Matt and Mimi have been friends for half their lives that he doesn't even blush at her bold request. She's wearing blue jeans, a white, lacy top, a light-pink blazer and brown ankle boots that, in Mimi's vocabulary, are "fabulously adorable" (he'd call them bloody impractical, but he knows better than to argue with her). When she entered the loft earlier, heads turned, jaws dropped, eyes bulged, the same thing that has happened for years when Mimi Tachikawa sets foot in a room. She always has a certain aura about her, and she's feisty, confident, smart and beautiful. People are captivated by her presence.

Matt _doesn't_ look at her well-chosen outfit though, and instead asks casually, "You two seeing each other?"

She raises an eyebrow, turning to the stereo again.

Tai Yagami appears to be in deep conversation with one of Davis' colleagues, but Mimi has spent enough time studying his every move to know that he's not really interested. His arms are crossed over his chest, signalling a slight defensiveness. When he pretends to listen, he nods too much, which he is certainly doing right now. And, most telling of all, his eyes keep flicking to where she's sitting on her barstool, sipping at her Pina Colada.

The question Matt's asked her comes back to her infatuated mind, and she turns to the blonde. To her surprise, he's already looking at her, an amused expression on his face as he takes a swig from his beer.

She shoves his shoulder in a feeble attempt to hide her embarrassment, but fails miserably. Mimi has always been honest to a fault. She's such a bad liar she often decides not to say anything, but in those moments, her cheeks light up in a shade of red that would make the Weasley family proud.

"It was a rhetorical question anyway," he grins at her, making the colour in her cheeks deepen.

"Tell your girlfriend to stop gossiping," she replies in what she hopes sounds like a dangerous tone. Matt snorts. "As if I needed Sora to spell it out for me," he says, almost hurt. "You're like my sister. I can _tell_."

She downs her drink to make the heat in her face disappear, but it's not really working. She's not surprised, to be honest. Matt may be quiet and broody sometimes, but he is very observant. A few years ago, he was the first one in the group to know that TK and Kari were fighting when they hadn't even told anyone that they were having problems. It was him who took the boys on a spontaneous camping trip when Cody thought he'd failed his university entrance exam. And it's him who can read Sora, a person who always puts herself behind her friends' needs, like an open book.

"Does he talk to you about me?" she asks, trying to sound nonchalant.

"All the bloody time," the blonde returns matter-of-factly. "He doesn't shut up about you."

All of a sudden, the blush in her cheeks disappears, and the smug grin is back on her lips. This is why she likes talking to Matt. Sora would always try her best to be a neutral best friend to both Mimi and Tai, and whenever Mimi starts asking if Tai ever mentions her, the redhead would give very diplomatic answers like "Oh, you know, he always does, doesn't he", which isn't very helpful.

It's the boon and bane of being a girl.

"We're not officially dating," she eventually answers his question, trying to be as cool and collected as him. "Just… hanging out and stuff."

He nods, taking another sip from his beer. "He likes you, you know."

This time, the blush on her cheeks is warm and fuzzy, and she's not embarrassed at all. Of course, she has figured out as much – she has been in enough relationships to recognise the signs. Tonight alone is exemplary.

There are about forty people in Davis' loft, and even though their group of friends look out to find each other constantly, they're mostly mingled with the other people from Davis' life, scattered all across the apartment and the balcony. She hasn't even talked to half of her close friends because it's so busy in here.

She has seen a lot of Tai, however.

As soon as she greeted Davis earlier and he introduced her to some of his friends (one of whom made her a drink), Tai approached her, smiling at her confidently when he pecked her cheek. His hand was light on her back when he steered her away from the ogling guys she had just been introduced to, over to a very delighted Joey who hugged her so tightly he almost lifted her off her feet.

As the apartment got louder and more crowded, it became pretty stifling, and she would have loved nothing more than to go out on the balcony to catch some fresh air, but she was in an interesting conversation with a girl from Davis' work and she didn't want to interrupt her. Just as she thought she might have to do exactly that, she felt a hand on her arm.

"You look hot," he said ambiguously in her ear, pressing an ice-cold glass of water into her free hand and disappearing as quickly as he had shown up.

Later, when she went to the kitchen to get a new (alcoholic) drink, she saw him talking to Sora at the kitchen table, and she bumped her hip against his.

The smile he gave her was absolutely devastating.

"Well, I'll leave you to your thoughts," Matt's voice pulls her back to the present, and she gives him an apologetic smile. "I'm gonna go see if Izzy is still with us." He slides from his barstool and vanishes into the crowd.

Mimi sighs and turns around in her chair to the high kitchen table filled with bottles of alcohol, soda, orange juice, beer and plates of colourfully decorated cake pops (being a cook at a small restaurant in downtown Tokyo, Davis is an excellent chef in every definition of the term). She reaches for a bottle of coke and pours herself a glass. When she turns around, she notices a familiar body moving towards her from across the room.

It's like a stupid movie, really, the way he walks over slowly, deliberately, looking sexy as all hell in his black dress shirt (the top buttons are undone, which makes his collarbones look _tremendously fit_ , by the way). He catches her eye and when he smiles at her, it's like the air is on fire around her.

She can't pinpoint the exact moment she started to feel differently about him. They've always been friends, with maybe a tiny bit of unresolved sexual tension, because Tai likes flirting and Mimi is a very physical person (she likes hugs, okay?!). Now, however, there's an undeniable edge to every conversation, every exchanged gaze, every stolen touch.

Like the sudden, abrupt lighting of a match.

Mimi finds herself trying hard not to ruffle her hair, because Sora told her that's what she _always_ does when she's into someone (the redhead affectionately refers to this move as the _Windswept by Design_ ). She almost laughs at herself; she's really acting like a teenager, not like the sophisticated, grown-up 27-year-old she so wants to be.

"Hello," Tai finally greets her, a smirk dancing on his lips.

"Hello," she repeats, mesmerised by the way his tall frame is invading her personal space. He reaches behind her to help himself to a bottle of beer, and she knows he does this on purpose, because there really is no need for his arm to brush her shoulder like this, to add fuel to the flames already burning inside her.

"Having a good time?" he asks, sliding into the chair that Matt left empty a few minutes before.

"I'm having a _very_ good time," she says happily. "Earlier, Izzy and I had an in-depth discussion about the cultural differences between America and Japan, especially in terms of Spring Break and Hanami*." Mimi giggles about the blank face Tai is giving her, shaking her head. "It was amazing. And, indeed, very insightful."

"I love Drunk Izzy," he says, taking a swig from his beer.

"How about you, are you having fun?"

"Oh yeah, now I am. I wasn't, up until a minute ago. There was this guy over there from Davis' work, and he told me about his _band_." He wrinkles his nose. "Thank _God_ Matt saved me."

"What do you mean, Matt saved you?" Mimi perks up.

"He came over and just, took over the conversation." Tai eyes her with confusion. "I thought you asked him to?"

"I didn't," she snorts. "He told me he was gonna look if Izzy was still amongst the living."

Their eyes lock, and something clicks.

"He's such a good friend," Mimi exclaims, touching his arm. "You should be thankful."

"I'll send him some flowers later," the brown-haired man cracks, his eyes coming to rest on where she's touching his arm. He slides it behind her back so that it's resting on the table, leaning in closer to her.

"Have I told you that you look stunning tonight?" he asks into her ear.

"I got a certain vibe from you, yes," she tries to sound as cool as she can while his breath is hot against her skin.

"Especially the shoes. They're _terrifically awesome_ ," he says, mimicking her way of describing things. She laughs out loud, letting her head fall onto his shoulder in the process. "I think you're spending too much time with me."

"Funny, I feel like I could always spend a little more time with you," he responds smoothly, looking at her through his lashes, a playful smile on his lips.

"Really?"

"Yeah. After this party, for example," he adds, his voice low and throaty, which sends a wonderful shiver down her spine. She's hyperaware of his proximity, of the heat he's radiating, of the subtle scent of cologne on his collarbone, of how very brown his eyes are.

 _God_ , Mimi thinks to herself, _here I go, head over heels._

"Sounds good to me," the brunette hears herself say, and she has to restrain herself from closing the few inches between them and kissing him senseless, pulling on his shirt and tearing it open, just running her hands over his chest to _unleash_ the heat, to release the burning desire she's been feeling all night –

"MIMI!" a familiar voice shouts, and it's like someone drenches her in ice-cold water.

She needs a moment to realise it's Davis, the hugest grin on his face as he reaches out for her. For a moment, she is sure he's gonna call them out on sitting this close (he has a big mouth even when he's not completely wasted), but then he says what she's least expecting. "Dance-off, baby!"

"What?" Mimi asks (her voice suspiciously high), hearing the first few notes of a familiar song, and the smirk on her face suddenly matches Davis', and she takes her jacket off, making the younger man squeal in excitement.

She turns around to Tai, who seems unfazed by the sudden interruption, and hands him the blazer, a glint in her eyes. "Don't leave without me," she says lowly, not waiting for his response as she shimmies her way over to the dance floor.

* * *

Two o'clock in the morning passes, and the apartment is considerably less crowded. Some people have already gone home; others decided to take the party to a nearby club. Sora starts to feel a bit tired, but she, Matt, Joey and Kari got hold of the couch, which is less exhausting than standing around all the time.

She and Matt have just come back from the kitchen with another round of drinks when she sees something very interesting outside on the balcony: against the bright lights of downtown Tokyo, two people are embracing each other.

"What are you smirking about?" Matt asks, following her gaze outside. "Oh." He does something that is half eye-roll, half snort, and shakes his head. "I hope they get out of here before they tear each other's clothes off," he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm, but the spark in his blue eyes betrays him.

Sora hooks her arm through his, sighing. "Remember when we were like this?"

"You act like twenty years have gone by," the blonde observes, dropping a kiss on her hair.

"They're more obvious than we were, though. I bet Tai's gonna leave in a moment and she will follow ten minutes later, _very discreetly_ of course." He laughs lightly, pulling her closer.

As if proving her point, their brown-haired friend disentangles himself from Mimi a few moments later and comes back through the balcony door. The couple turns away quickly to not give away that they've been observing him, and when Tai says his goodbyes, they feign surprise and disappointment at this early departure.

"Say goodbye to Davis though!" Sora tells him as he kisses her cheek.

"Yes Mum!" he grins at her, and usually she would roll her eyes at him, but his smile is so bright that she can't help but beam back at him.

He _really_ likes Mimi, Sora realises.

"Right," the redhead reaches for her purse. "I'll catch Mimi once she'll go to the bathroom in three, two…"

Just then, the girl in question comes back into the loft, making her way over to the restroom. Matt and Sora look at each other in amusement. "I think we spend too much time with them," he deadpans.

Sora makes it to the bathroom door just as Mimi is opening it. "Fancy meeting you here!" she grins, closing the door behind them. The brunette girl looks at her suspiciously, asking, "Is it though? I feel like you planned this."

"Hey, it's not my fault you're so bloody obvious," Sora responds, checking her hair in the mirror. "You've got 'Tai is taking me home' written all over your face."

Mimi shrugs smugly, opening her handbag to reveal several cosmetics. Sora watches her refresh her makeup expertly (something that will never stop astonishing her – Mimi could use an eye pencil even if she was completely battered).

"How serious is this then?" Sora asks.

"Oh, you know," Mimi says, putting blusher on her cheeks, "that's still up for discussion." Sora waits a beat. Then –

"Ugh, I really, really _like_ him," the girl exclaims. "And I know he likes me too, I mean, we've been seeing each other for a month now, and it's either that or I'm just really good in bed."

Sora raises her eyebrows suggestively, but doesn't push it. The two of them have had enough bathroom talks during their friendship that she knows Mimi is serious about this. She takes a hair brush from the handbag and walks over.

"I've seen Tai date," she says, running the brush through her friend's long, light brown hair. "And I would lie if I said all his relationships were super serious, but you're more to him than just a pickup. The way he looks at you…" She grins. "I'm surprised it hasn't set you on fire yet."

Mimi glances up, her cinnamon eyes big and focused, despite the alcohol she's consumed tonight. "What if I fall in love with him?"

Sora touches her shoulder. "Honey, I think you're already half way there." The other girl buries her face in her hands for a moment, sighing in a half excited, half desperate manner. Sora, who has heard this sound many times before, pulls Mimi's perfume bottle from the handbag and wordlessly sprays some of the flowery scent on her friend's neck and collarbones. "What would be so bad about it? Tai's a great guy."

"I know and I really want to see where this is going, I'm just concerned we can't be friends anymore if it goes… wrong."

"You'll never know where this goes if you don't take the risk, though."

Mimi pouts. "You're too wise for your own good."

Sora laughs, motioning for her to lift up her chin. Carefully, she applies lipstick to Mimi's lips. There's something very reassuring in the way Sora's auburn eyes are fixed on her task, and Mimi can't help but feel grateful that she has her looking out for her.

"Right," Sora finishes, and the other girl purses her lips. "I can't remember ever helping you touch up your makeup right before you got laid, so… have fun, I guess?"

Mimi snorts, and some of the tension leaves her body. "That delivery, that was so Matt. You guys are hilarious." She looks at herself in the mirror, perking up. "Cute colour!" she nods in agreement.

"You can give it back to me next time," Sora says, slipping her lipstick into Mimi's purse. "I'm off then. Text me tomorrow?"

"Will do," Mimi promises, winking. "Do you want details or not?"

"I said 'text me' for a reason, not 'call me'," she says cheekily.

"Oh, get out!"

The redhead laughs lightly as she closes the door, and Mimi makes sure her friend is really gone before she turns to the mirror again, running her hand through her hair, tousling it strategically. She nods at her reflection contently before heading out.

* * *

As she slips out into the night, Tai is waiting for her as promised, his lips curving up at her sight.

"Davis didn't want to let me go," she explains, grinning up at him. "He wanted a dance-off rematch." She notices that Tai isn't really listening, but that he's instead sizing her up very obviously.

"What?" she asks, trying to sound sassy.

He pulls her towards him swiftly, his hands low on her waist, his mouth just inches from hers. He stops for a second, and she can feel him smiling against her lips (it's quite possibly the best thing she's felt in a long time) before he dips his head and kisses her.

"I can't stop thinking about you, Mimi," Tai tells her in that low, husky voice she's come to adore so much.

It's the way he says it with such sincerity and fire that makes her knees go weak, and she cocks an eyebrow bravely. "You don't have to," she whispers back, taking his hand in hers and eagerly pulling him in the direction of his apartment.

The night air around them is crackling, sizzling, catching fire and then, suddenly, ablaze.

* * *

*Hanami = the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, especially cherry blossoms :)  
There you go! :) I hope you liked this fluffy piece of Michi goodness. I loved all the feedback I've gotten for this so far and I look forward to writing more Michi (hopefully soon!) Thank you once again for reading and take care :')


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